The Firefighters’ Story: now on YouTube

The Fire Brigades Union has, for the first time, made the acclaimed documentary film, ‘The Firefighters’ Story: 100 years of the Fire Brigades Union’ available online, premiering on YouTube this week.

The hour-long film, narrated by actress Sue Johnston of Royle Family fame, traces the history of the Fire Brigades Union since its inception at the end of the First World War, and the contribution the union has made over ten decades to improve public and firefighter safety through its campaigning work.

Produced by In Focus Productions to mark the centenary of the FBU, the film uses archive footage throughout, including incredible shots of the Blitz, showing the bravery of the firefighters Churchill called ‘heroes with grimy faces”. The film examines the appalling conditions early firefighters worked under and the role of the Union in building the modern fire and rescue service.

As our union enters its 101st year, it’s important to remember everything we have achieved through our common endeavours and the sacrifices of the firefighters who came before us. They fought for a nationalised service, for a regular working week, for better pay, conditions and national standards. They faced attacks from governments of every creed but still did all they could to make this country safer for residents and firefighters alike.

From the ‘spit and polish’ demonstrations demanding pay parity with the police, to the battle with the Tory/Lib-Dem coalition government over our pensions; from the Blitz, to the Cheapside Street whisky bond fire, to the Grenfell Tower fire; it is a history lesson in the great struggles over the last century of our service.

The film has received wide acclaim through a series of invitee only screenings. At every screening audience members have heaped praise on its content, calling for it to be shown to as wide an audience as possible. This call has now been met with the film being published in high definition on the FBU YouTube channel, available via this link.

We are encouraging members and supporters to arrange group viewings of the film, using the link to screen it into workplaces and elsewhere. Make sure you see ‘The Firefighters' Story’. It's a fitting tribute to our remarkable profession and our incredible union.